Prime’s formularies will include the insulin biosimilar over the reference product Lantus beginning in January 2022.
Prime Therapeutics will add Viatris’ biosimilar Semglee (insulin glargine-yfgn) injection, co-developed with Biocon Biologics, to its national formularies beginning Jan. 1, 2022, removing the reference product Sanofi’s Lantus. Prime anticipates no significant member disruption and affordability will be comparable or better with the biosimilar.
“Payers and prescribers need to embrace these effective alternatives, just as they did years ago with generics, so we can help drive down rising health care costs for everyone,” Joseph Leach, M.D., chief medical officer at Prime, said in a statement.
The FDA approved Semglee in July 2021 to improve glycemic control in adults and pediatric patients with type 1 diabetes and in adults with type 2 diabetes. It is interchangeable with Lantus, a long-acting insulin analog. Semglee is the first interchangeable biosimilar product approved in the United States for the treatment of diabetes. Semglee, offered in 10 mL vials and 3 mL prefilled pens, is administered subcutaneously once daily. It is not recommended for treating diabetic ketoacidosis.
Express Scripts has also made the decision to include Semglee as a preferred product on its National Formulary.
Diabetes Management & Telehealth with Leslie Kolb
June 11th 2020Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists, chief science and practice officer, Leslie Kolb chats with MHE Associate Editor Briana Contreras in MHE's newest podcast Tuning into the C-Suite about diabetes management and how it's affected by the use of telehealth, especially during the current and trying times of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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